When the Stars Align

Chapter 36: Sports Festival (Part 2)

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"...when our fledgling Heroes compete in a ruthless grand battle!!!"

Standing by one of the stadiums many built tunnels, you and class 1-A listen in to the ear splitting cheer that the crowd gives, awaiting for the group to be called out to formally enter the arena. From the little that you can see from where you are and even with the still filtering audience, almost all seats were taken up in the building, no empty spots to be accounted for.

You'd been told about how grandiose the Sports Festival was, but seeing it live and in person was definitely more than a little intimidating, especially when you could make out the clear divide between the public and the Pro Heroes who had taken the day off to watch the event. You couldn't even make out the commentators box from where you were, everyone and everything resembling nothing more than small blips in space.

Honestly, U.A. had way too much time and money on their hands if they could hold an event like this annually and not even blink at the sheer size of it all.

"First up, you know who I'm talkin' about!! The miraculous rising stars who brushed off a Villain attack with their steely willpower...!!! The first-years of the Hero Course...!!!"

Iida, who'd managed to lead you, Uraraka, and Midoriya to the front of the group, clapped his hands together. "Everyone, that's our cue! Let's step out at once!"

The class nodded, no one exchanging anything more than nervous glances at one another as the threshold grew closer, the days gleaming sun acting as a sort of beacon to the other side. Everything became louder as your steps inched closer and closer to the open air; noisemakers of all types drowning out even Yamadas voice as he quietly waited for the crowds jeers to subside.

When they did, he continued his spectacular introduction, the ruffling of his leather clothes still audible as he excitedly declared, "It's class A!!!"

If it were even possible, the sounds of shouting increase exponentially to your classes official reveal, all of you marching out in unison towards the makeshift stage and podium in the middle of the stadium. Camera flashes blind you momentarily as you look up, taking it all in one last time before you would all be preoccupied with whatever challenges the staff decided to throw your way.

"Whoaaaa... what a crowd..."

Iida nodded from his space beside you at Midoriyas words, taking a glance around himself as he quietly says, "And we're expected to put on the best performance we can in front of so many spectators...!" He looks toward you then, sheepish and serious all at once. "I suppose this is merely one more necessary skill if we hope to become Heroes."

With continued muttering going on behind you from the rest of your peers, Yamada rakes the crowds attention toward himself again, speedily calling out to the rest of the participating first-years.

"Following class B; it's classes C, D, and E of General Studies...!! And here come the Support Course classes; F, G, and H! And, the Business Course..."

'What an... interesting introduction for the other courses...'

It was no wonder the other students at this school seemed to feel a certain way about Hero trainees; if you had thought the staff here had some bias before, this definitely helped seal the case. Especially with how the crowd seemed to quiet down when they approached the built stage up on the field... ouch.

Still, you couldn't help but find their anger continually misplaced. It was painfully obvious all anyone was here to watch was the Hero students, as unfair as it might seem. U.A. was regarded as the top Hero school for a reason, after all. If they had such a problem with it, why not take it up with someone like the Principal, or-